Bibbon-inking machine



E. KlRKBRlDE.

RIBBON INKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION- FILED MAY 1. 191a.

Patented July 22, 1919.

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E. KIRKBRIDE.

I RIBBON INKlNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY]. 1918. 1,310,625, Patented July 22, 1919.

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. To all whom it may concern:

. RIDE, OF-CAMDEH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR '1'0 TYBON COMP, 0F wnmrmeron, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAW.

meson-name macmnn Specification f Letters ream. p t t July 22,19 19,

Application filed m 7, 1918. Serial to. 23am.

Be it-known that I, EDMUND Kmmmmn, a citizenof the United States, residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Ribbon-Inking Machine, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to a machine forinking or re-inking ribbons, intended particularly for typewriter use.

The purpose of my invention is to simplify the construction, facilitate the application of the ink and improve thevoperatlon, particularly for use by amateurs, at the same time that the risk of soiling the hands or person of the user is much reduced.

A furtherpurpose is to provide 'a' simple and effective guide for the ribbon within the inking bath which can readily be llftfid.

when it is desired to pass the ribbon through the bath.

A further purpose is to provide for a spool wind corresponding in angular speed to that for winding the ribbon upon the smallest part of the spool or in excess thereof and providing a slip between it and the spool, to take care of the slip due to increasing diameter of the ribbon b'ody upon the spool.

" Further purposes Wlll appear in the specification and in the claims thereof. 7

I have preferred 'to illustrate my invention by but one form, selecting therefor a form which is simple, inexpensive and highly efiicient and which at the same time well illustrates the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my preferred'form, the. cover being sectioned.

Fig. 2 is a vertical-longitudinal section of 1 upon line 2-2.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections of Fig. 2 taken upon line 3-'3 and 4 1 respectively.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of my preferred form.

In the drawing similar numerals indicate corresponding parts.

The manufacture as well as the re-inking of typewriter ribbons is largely in the hands of a very few large manufacturers. Not only small users but concerns uslngthousands of typewriter ribbons yearly are forced to buy from them.

With the larger users, this is due largely to the lack of a suitable inking machme the thumb nuts 12 at opposite sides.

simple enough to permit use by a; comparatlve amateur and effective enough to ive results comparable with those to be obtained a good manufacturer. Though the ribbon material can be obtained in bulk at a very low price and the cost of the ink requlred per ribbon is small, a high price has been maintained for the ribbons.

My invention is. designed primarily to enable users of ribbons in quantity to ink or re-ink them for their own use.

The frame 1 is shown as mounted upon legs 2 and provided with a cover 3. It carries side frame members in the form of supporting brackets such as shown at 4 and 5 for a web spool 6 in bearings 7 bearingsfor the shaft 8 of roller ribbon (guide 9; a ribbon guide 10 in the form of a yoke whose arms 10, 10 are movablein slots 11 and secured therein b thumb screws 12; rolls 13' and 14 rotata le on shafts 15 and 16; suitable connecting gearing; and spindle winding mechanism driventherebyfor turning the ribbon spool 17.

When the machine is used to ink new typewriter ribbons the spool 6 is intended tocarry a web of white ribbon tape 18, preferably long enough to make a number of the finished ribbons; when used for re-inking, the old ribbon is placed upon it.

The ribbon 18 passes from the spool over the guide 9 and thence over a roller 19 which is shown in the figures as depressed to carry the ribbon down beneath the surface of the ink in an ink tank 20 beneath the body of the machine. When the ribbon is first fed through the machine the roller 19 is located above the ink level 20 in the ink well so. that the ribbon may be passed beneath it reliably and accurately. without dipping the fingers into the ink, andthe ribbon-carrying guide rpller is then moved down to the position shown and secured by The height adjustment is made bymovement of the yoke in the slots 11.

The rollers 13 and 14.- are of steel and the upper roller 13 is pressed downwardly against the lower roller by means of screws than the roll 13 as a convenient meansof causing any ink which spreads toward the edges of either roll to drip from the lower roll into the ink tank. The roll 14 is connected by gears 26, 27 and 28 with a spindle 29 which may be adjustable axially to suit different widths of ribbon spool. This may be accomplished by placing the pins 30, 31 in different openings in the spindle. The spindle is keyed to the gear 28.

' The gears are so proportioned that the peripheral speed of the spool core or bottom shall be at least equal to the peripheral speed of rolls 13 and 14, so that the ribbon 18 may be maintained under tension at all times between, but permitting slip between the driving spindle 29 and the ribbon spool 17.

The spindles 32 and 33 are both axially movable to permit insertion of the two spools and are resiliently pressed against them by springs 33% and 35 bearing axially upon the spindles at one end, 36 and 37 and upon fixed parts 38 and 39 at the other.

The ink tank is preferably inserted laterally within a compartment closed by door 40 and secured by fastener 41.

In operation for inking a .new ribbon, a roll of ribbon fabric, web or braid, preferably long enough for a number of ribbons, is wound upon spool 6 and the end passed over roll 9 below roll 19 when it is in raised position, through between rolls 13' and 14: and thence to winding position upon the typewriter spool 17. The yoke 10 is then lowered to force the ribbon at this point below the surface of the ink. The rolls are then operated passing the ribbon through between them and on to the spool. When the operation is first begun the connection with the ribbon spool 17 is not made until inked ribbon of sufficient length for this purpose has passed through between. the rolls.

The ink used for the purpose is thick enough not to pour and might more properly be called a paste than a liquid. Consequently it is necessary to have it squeezed into the web, which is done by the pressure rolls, at the same time they squeeze the excess from the web and whatever excess travels toward the edges of the rolls is ultimately dropped from the edge of the shorter roll to fall into the tank.

Where a typewriter ribbon is to be reinked, the dirt in. it should be thoroughly removed. The dried ribbon is then treated in the same general way as the new ribbon web is treated in the operation of inking a new ribbon.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a ribbon-inking machine, a reel for the web and ink-squeezing rolls in combination with an ink container, a yoke adapted to guide the web between the spool and rolls and means for securing the side arms of the yoke at different heights to guide the web above or below the surface of the ink as desired.

2. In a ribbon-inking machine, a reel for the web, pressure rolls for the web, an ink container and a yoke adapted in non-use to be secured above the ink and in use to act as a guide for the web below the surface of the ink.

3. In a ribbon-inking machine, a reel for the web, supports therefor, web squeezing rolls, a supply of ink for the web and a vertically adjustable guide adapted to depress the web beneath the surface of the ink and guide it therein.

4. In a ribbon-inking machine, a reel for the web, squeezing rolls for the web, a supply of ink for the web, a frame having slots on opposite sides of the ink supply, a yoke adapted to pass through said slots and having the middle of the yoke formed as a guide for the web and retaining means for holding the yoke at diflerent heights Within said slots to permit passage of the web between the yoke and ink or force the ribbon beneath the surface of the ink as desired.

7 EDMUND KIRKBRIDE.

Witness WM. STEELL JACKSON. 

